Retrom

Preview

Retrom is a self-hosted game library for people who want one collection available across several computers. A central service scans and organizes game files, while desktop clients can install, launch, and manage local copies. It can bring emulated games and other DRM-free titles into one interface, with metadata and artwork to make a large collection easier to browse.

The tradeoff is setup: Retrom needs a library host and client configuration, so it suits a household or multi-device setup better than a single-folder launcher. Its emulator profiles can be shared between clients, but each machine still needs compatible emulator software and access to files it is allowed to run. Start with a small collection and one client before connecting every system.

Screenshots

Screenshots: Retrom project.

A sensible setup path

1. Read the official quick-start guide and choose where the Retrom service will run.
2. Connect one desktop client and add a small game folder to test scanning and metadata.
3. Configure one emulator profile on that client, then confirm a game launches before adding more systems.
4. Back up the service settings and library metadata before making major changes.

Official project and documentation

Official Retrom project ↗ · Quick-start guide ↗ · Releases ↗

Guides and tutorials

Step-by-step Retrom guides appear here as they are published.